Vending machine



Sept. 7, 1937. A. M. ILUAMS VENDING MACHINE Filed March ll, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ARTHUR M.WILLIAMS ATTO RN EY-S p 1937- A. M. WILLIAMS 2,092,543

VENDING MACHINE Filed March 11, 1955 -2 Sh eets-Sheet ,2

INVENTCSR ARTHUR M.WILLIAMS ATTORNEY-5' Patented Sept. 7, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

The invention relates to vending machines and refers more particularly to merchandise vending machines of the coin controlled type.

The invention has for one of its objects to provide an improved coin controlled operating mechanism which is so constructed that it may be compactly arranged and that it is efficient in operation. The invention has for another object to so construct the coin controlled operating mechanism that coins of different value may be employed to control its operation in accordance with or proportional to the value of the coins. The invention has for further objects to so construct the coin controlled operating mechanism that lost motion of the coin carrier is decreased and that movement of the releasing portion of the locking dog relative to the coin engaging portion is increased or multiplied to insure positive action without the necessity of fine or hair-line adjustment.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims, taken with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of a vending machine showing an embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the coin controlled operating mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view of Fig. 3;

Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views illustrating the operation;

Fig. '7 is a cross section on the line 'l--'| of Fig. 1; p

Fig. 8 is a cross section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 9 is a detail View of the coin carrier.

The vending machine, as shown in the draw-; ings comprises the cabinet I, the container 2 for the merchandise, the hopper 3 mounted upon the cabinet and supporting the container, the bucket wheel housing 4 within the cabinet and carried by the lower end of the hopper, and the; rotatable bucket wheel 5 within the housing. The housing has in its bottom wall a merchandise discharge opening which registers with the chute 6 having its lower end portion preferably extending through the front wall of the cabinet.

The coin controlled operating mechanism for actuating the bucket wheel is also located with-- in the cabinet I. This mechanism has the frame 1 which essentially comprises the rectangular frame members 8 and 9 extending transversely of a each other and rigidly secured together. i is a plate adjacent to the front wall of the cabinet I and rigidly secured to the frame member 9. This plate has secured to its rear face the coin chutes H and i2 for respectively receiving coins of different value. The chute II, as shown, is designed to receive the usual one cent piece and the chute l2, as shown, is designed to receive the usual five cent piece. The construction of these chutes may be standard. For alternatively receiving the coins from the chutes II and I2, I have provided the receiving chute I3 which is rigidly secured to the frame member 9.

The coin controlled mechanism has the vertically driven shaft M which is journaled in the frame member 8 and which has the polygonal shaped upper end ifor fitting in a correspondingly shaped socket in the hub of the bucket wheel 5. I6 is a driven gear wheel fixedly secured to the shaft I 4. The coin controlled mechanism also has the driving shaft I! which extends horizontally and is journaled in the frame member 9. This shaft extends through the front wall of the cabinet! handle I8for rotating the shaft. I9 is a driving gear wheel fixed upon the shaft I1 and meshing with the drivengear wheel [6 and 20 is a coin carrier fixed upon the driving shaft l1 and having the coin receiving pocket '2l, the carrier being positioned so' that the pocket may register with and receive a coin guided by the receiving chute I3. As shown, the driving shaft I1 is formed of the.inner shaft 22 and the sleeve 23 fixedly secured together. Also the coin carrier 20 is formed of the circular plates 24 rigidly secured together and each having the depressed portion 25. These depressed portions register with and are offset in directions away from each other to form the pocket 2|.

The coin controlled mechanism is also provided with means adapted to be controlled by the coins controlling the operation of the mechanism in accordance with the value of the coins. This means, as shown, comprises the timer gear 26, the timer rack 2 the timer carriage 28, and the locking dog 29. The timer gear 26 is fixed upon the driving shaft ll between the driving gear 3' and the coin carrier 20 and engages the timer rack 21. The timer carriage 28 is located beneath and pivotally mounted upon the plate 30, which latter is rigidly secured to the frame member 9. This timer carriage is in the nature of a plate having the down-turned ears 3| at one end of its sides through which extends the pivot pin 32 into the down-turned flanges 33 at the sides of the plate 30. The timer carriage has at its free end and has secured thereto the .the rotation of the coin carrier in mechanism, the pocket the down-turned flange 34 which terminates in the return-bent portion 35, this flange and return-bent portion being spaced to receive and guide the timer rack 27 and both being cut away to provide for engagement of the timer gear 26 with the timer rack. The free end of the timer carriage is yieldably urged downwardly by means of the spring 36 and this downward movement is limited by means of the tongue 31 upon one of the flanges 33. As shown, the spring 36 is coiled around the pivot pin 32 intermediate its ends and has one end portion engaging the lower face of the plate and the other end portion extending upwardly through an opening 28' in the timer carriage and engaging the upper face of this member.

The timer rack 21 is yieldably urged longitudinally toward the front wall of the cabinet I by means of the coil spring 38 having one end secured to the hook 39 preferably integral with one end of the timer rack and having the other end connected to the hook 40 preferably formed integral with and extending downwardly from the timer carriage 28. The locking dog 29 is a vertical plate located between the coin carrier 20 and the timer carriage 28. This locking dog is pivotally mounted upon the pivot pin 32 at the front side of the adjacent flange 33 and between this flange and the coin receiving chute I3. The free end of this locking dog is normally urged downwardly by means of the coil spring 4| having its upper end secured to the hook 42 preferably struck out from the locking dog and its lower end secured to the projection 43.- The locking dog has its lower edge formed to provide near its free end the hook 44 and intermediate this hook and the pivot the rounded projection 45. The hook 44 provides a shoulder engageable with the transverse pin 46 upon the coin carrier 20 to limit a clockwise direction and prevent driving of the driven gear wheel l6 sufficiently to bring the next pocket of the bucket wheel 5 into registration with the discharge opening in the bucket wheel housing. The lower face of the rounded portion 45 is engageable with the pin 45 of the locking dog. The locking dog is also formed with the laterally extending tongue 41 above or in the rounded portion 45, this tongue extending over the coin carrier 20 and being engageable with the periphery of the coin in the pocket 2| upon rotation in a clockwise direction of the coin carrier to raise or swing upwardly the locking dog prior to the time that the pin 46 would normally engage the hook 44 if no coin were in the pocket. The locking dog is further provided with the tongue 48 at its free end and extending in a direction away from the coin carrier to engage upon sufficient upward swinging of the locking dog the tongue 49 formed upon the timer carriage and extending beyond its free end to thereby raise the timer rack 21 out of engagement with the timer gear 26. In addition, the locking dog has the vertically extending slot 50 above the hook 44 and adapted to register with the timer rack 21 to receive the same when disengaged from the timer gear 26. By reason of the locking dog being pivoted at one end, having a timer rack releasing abutment at the other end and having a coin engaging shoulder intermediate the ends, the movement of the abutment is multiplied and therefore positive releasing action is assured without the necessity for fine or hair-line adjustment.

In the normal position of the coin controlled 2| of the coin carrier is adapted to alternatively receive one of the coins of difierent value from the coin receiving chute I3. The normal position is secured by means of the arm 5| which is pivotally mounted upon the bracket 52 carried by the frame member 9. This arm is resiliently urged by the coil spring 53 against the pin 54 upon the timer gear I9 and also against the driving shaft H, but is angularly movable to a sufficient extent to permit the pin 54 to slide thereover during the operation of the mechanism. When the parts are in normal position the arm 5| engages both the pin 54 and the driving shaft I'I. If an attempt is made to actuate the coin controlled mechanism from its normal position by rotating the handle I8 in a clockwise direction, the pin 46 will come into contact with the locking shoulder upon the hook 44 of the locking dog limiting any further movement in this direction. When the handle I8 is released, the spring pressed arm 5| returns the coin carrier 20 to its normal position thereby lowering its pocket 2|. At the same time the locking dog 29 is raised by reason of the pin 45 upon the coin carrier 20 slidably engaging the lower edge of the rounded portion 45 of the locking dog. This combined lowering of the pocket and raising of the dog decreases the total amount of return movement of the coin carrier required to provide sufflcient clearance for a coin to pass the lateral tongue 4? upon the locking dog while the coin is being guided to the pocket. As a result lost motion is decreased.

Upon insertion of a one cent piece into the chute II, this chute and the receiving chute I3 guide the one cent piece the coin carrier so that upon rotation of the handle I8 in a clockwise direction the periphery of the one cent piece will come into contact with the lateral shoulder 4'! of the locking dog to raise this locking dog and hold the same raised until the pin 45 of the coin carrier passes the hook 44 of the locking dog. Rotation of the handle may then be continued until one complete turn has been made and this rotation effects through the driving gear I9 and the driven gear IS a rotative advancement of the bucket wheel 5 to bring the next bucket into registration with the discharge opening in the bottom wall of the bucket wheel housing 4. At the end of this complete revolution, the parts will then assume their I normal position. Upon insertion of a five cent piece into the chute I2, the five cent piece will be guided by this chute and the receiving chute I3 into the pocket 2| of the coin carrier so that upon rotation of the handle I8 in a clockwise direction the periphery of the five cent piece coming into engagement with the lateral tongue 41 of the locking dog raises this locking" dog a suflicient distance to engage the lateral tongue 48 of the locking dog with the tongue 49 upon the timer carriage to raise this timer carriage a suflicient distance to disengage the timer rack 21 from the timer gear 26. At this time the spring 38 longitudinally moves the timer rack a distance of five teeth, the movement being limited by the hook 39 engaging the adjacent end of the return-bent portion 35 of the timer carriage. The timer rack extends through the opening 50 in the locking dog and engages the upper end wall of this opening to hold the lock ing dog in raised or release position so that its hook 44 will clear the pin 45. As a result, the handle I8 may be continuously rotated five complete revolutions to successively bring five buckets of the bucket wheel into registration with the to the pocket 2| of discharge opening in the bottom'wall of:the bucket wheel-housing. When this rotation has beencompleted, theparts';again assume their normal positions. .g 1

To preventrotation of the driving shaft in the reverse or a counter-clockwisedirection,I have provided the pivotal locking dog which is engageable with thelteeth of the driving gear wheel l9. The teeth are inclined or spirally arranged and the locking dog has the projection 56 formed with a lateral lower edge having locking engagement with the rear edges of the teeth and also formed with an inclined upper edge having sliding engagement with the front edges of the teeth. The locking dog, as shown, is pivotally mounted upon the frame member 8 and is yieldably maintained in engagement with the teeth by the spring 5'! having one end portion engaging the dog and the other end portion engaging the frame member, the intermediate portion being wound about the pivot.

The coin controlled operating mechanism is mounted within the cabinet as a unit. As shown in the present instance 58 are perches at opposite sides of and extending vertically within the cabinet I, each having the transverse flange 59 at its upper end adapted to be fixedly secured as by welding to the lower side of the endless flange 60 at the top of the cabinet. E'ach perch also has the upper and lower side flanges BI and 62 respectively which extend inwardly and the intermediate side flanges 63 which extend outwardly to contact with the adjacent side wall of the cabinet. The side flanges BI and 62 receive and guide the ends bars of the frame member 8 when the frame 1 is inserted upwardly into the cabinet. The perches are preferably formed with these side flanges diverging with respect to each other, as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 2, so that after the frame has been assembled with the perches the side flanges may then be bent to flt the end bars of the frame with the latter properly aligned and positioned within the cabinet. Suitable means, such as the thumb nuts 64 and the bolts 65, secure the frame to the perches, the bolts extending through holes in the end bars of the frame member 8 and vertical slots in the lower end portions of the webs of the perches. This arrangementprovides for lateral and vertical adjustment of the frame relative to the cabinet.

To prevent unauthorized access to the interior of the cabinet I, there is the closure 66 for the lower end of the cabinet. This closure is removably mounted within the cabinet by the pivotal mounting means 6! at one edge and the key operated lock 68 at the opposite edge.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a coin controlled vending machine, coin controlled operating mechanism comprising a rotatable shaft, a coin carrier secured to said shaft and having a pocket for receiving a coin, a timer gear secured to said shaft, a movable timer carriage, a timer rack upon said carriage engageable by said timer gear, a movable locking dog, cooperating means upon said coin carrier and locking dog for normally limiting rotation of said coin carrier in one direction, means upon said locking dog engageable by a coin in said coin carrier pocket upon rotation of said coin carrier in said direction to move said locking dog to a position to release said cooperating means, cooperating means upon said locking dog and timer carriage for moving said timer carriage upon movement of said locking dog to release said timer rack' from saidtim'er gear, and means upon said locking dog engageable by said timer rack upon release thereof from said timer gear to hold said locking: dog in aposition maintainingsaid first mentioned cooperating means out of operatve relation.

2. In a coin controlled vending machine, coin controlled operating mechanism comprisingv a rotatable coin carrier having a pocket for receiving a coin, a pivotal locking dog, cooperating means upon said coin carrier and locking dog for normally limiting rotation of said coin carrier in one direction, means upon said locking dog engageable by a coin in said coin carrier pocket upon rotation of said coin carrier in said direction to swing said locking dog to a position to release said cooperating means, means comprising a timer carriage controlled by said locking dog for holding the latter in a position maintaining said cooperating means out of operative relation, and a common pivot for said timer carriage and locking dog.

3. In a coin controlled vending machine, coin controlled operating mechanism comprising a rotatable shaft, a coin carrier secured to said shaft and having a pocket for receiving a coin, a timer gear secured to said shaft, a pivotal timer carriage, a timer rack upon said carriage for engaging said timer gear, a spring for urging said timer rack in a longitudinal direction generally toward said coin carrier, a spring for urging said timer carriage in a direction to engage said timer rack with said timer gear, a pivotal locking dog, cooperating means upon said coin carrier and locking dog for limiting rotation of said coin carrier in one direction, a spring for urging said locking dog in a direction to engage said cooperating means, means upon said locking dog engageable with a coin in said coin carrier pocket upon rotation of said coin carrier in said direction to swing said locking dog in a direction to release said cooperating means, cooperating means upon said timer carriage and locking dog to swing said timer carriage upon swinging of said locking dog to disengage said timer rack from said timer gear, and means upon said locking dog engageable with said timer rack upon release thereof from said timer gear to hold said said locking dog in a position maintaining said first mentioned cooperating means out of operative relation.

4. In a coin controlled vending machine, coin controlled operating mechanism comprising a rotatable coin carrier having a pocket for receiving a coin, a pivotal locking dog, cooperating means upon said coin carrier and locking dog for limiting rotation of said coin carrier in one direction, a spring for urging said locking dog in a direction to engage said cooperating means, means upon said locking dog engageable with a coin in said coin carrier pocket upon rotation of said coin carrier in said direction to swing said locking dog to a position to release said cooperating means, holding means movable into engagement with said locking dog to hold the latter in a position maintaining said cooperating means out of operative relation, a timer carriage adapted to be actuated by said locking dog upon swinging thereof to release said holding means, and a common pivot for said timer carriage and locking dog.

5. In a coin controlled vending machine, the combination with a plurality of chutes respectively for coins of different value, of an operating mechanism having a driven member, a drivrelease position by the coins, said locking dog upon actuation by a coin of one value being adapted to move said rack out of engagement with said gear and upon actuation by a coin of a lower value permitting said rack to remain 5 in engagement with said gear.

ARTHUR M. WILLIAMS. 

